If you're a new Mom who is nursing your baby you may be nervous about doing so in public. Or perhaps you are disturbed by media reports of women who are harassed for breastfeeding in public and are considering pumping your milk to give your baby when you leave home.
Here are some tips for discreet breastfeeding that have worked for many Moms. Hopefully they will help you feel more comfortable nursing in public so you can avoid inconvenience of pumping and preparing bottles.
1) Before you have your baby, attend a La Leche League or other breastfeeding support group meeting.
Unfortunately in our Society that gives lip service to benefits of breastfeeding, it is still rare to see Moms nursing in public, and so most of us grow up having our own babies never having seen another woman nurse.
Going to an LLL meeting and seeing how other Moms nurse their babies discreetly and confidently can boost your own confidence. They can also share with you tips that will make nursing in public easier for you.
2) Invest in a baby sling.
These are wonderful for making life with a baby easier all around, but one thing they're great for is discreet breastfeeding. I can't count times someone approached me in a store and commented on my baby having no idea that s/he was latched on and nursing! The fabric of sling can be adjusted to come up over baby's head (yet most babies don't mind this like they do a blanket), or you can use extra fabric on "tail" to cover baby.
3) After your baby is born, practice nursing in front of a mirror or a friend to perfect your technique.
Once you and baby are getting to be old pros at latch on, you can most likely do so in just a couple of seconds.